Monday, September 29, 2008

The days of dumping your old prescription drugs into the toilet to get rid of them are officially over in California.

Today, you can only get rid of expired or unused pharmaceuticals through special drop-off events coordinated through a local law enforcement agency.

Suisun City is teaming up with the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District and our Solano County Local Task Force for Integrated Waste Managementpartners to present Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Week from Oct. 6-10 at the Sheriff's Coroner's Office at 520 Clay Street, Fairfield. You can go by the office anytime from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday next week to drop off your old prescriptions.

This is being coordinated as part of a statewide effort called "No Drugs Down the Drain" to educate the public about how to properly dispose of old pharmaceuticals. Research has shown that pharmaceutical waste cannot be removed from wastewater before it is released into state waterways, and that it is evident in concentrations in fish and other wildlife.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board in coordination with local task forces are working on a more permanent solution to this disposal challenge. But until that's in place, hold onto your expired or unused prescriptions and use one of these periodic events.

If you found a $100 bill while you were picking up garbage, what would you do with it?

Quinn Weaver, a 9-year-old Cub Scout from Suisun City, found himself in just that spot during the Coast and Creek Cleanup Day on Sept. 20. Working with his family near Laurel Creek, the boy found a $100 bill among the weeds and litter.

Here's how the Daily Republic's Cecil Conley started his Sept. 27, 2008, A1 story about Quinn:

"Nine-year-old Quinn Weaver grinned when asked whether he would define 'a lot of money' as having two quarters in the palm of his hand.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Crews with California Pavement Maintenance will apply the thick slurry seal to more than 1.4 million square feet of roadway covering 38 street segments across the City over six workdays, with typical work hours being 7:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

The streets that will receive slurry seal will be the same ones that were treated with the rubberized asphalt chip seal earlier this month. The slurry seal is the final, finish coat that will provide a smooth driving surface and cover the gravel 'chips' applied in the initial construction phase. >>Click here to see the schedule and maps!>>

By using the rubberized asphalt treatment in conjunction with the traditional slurry seal, the City was able to significantly upgrade some of the worst-rated streets in the City while extending their useful life by 10 to 15 years.

The process cost 15% of the traditional 'grind, remove and replace' approach while providing the same benefit. Because of the cost savings, Suisun City Public Works was able to improve many more streets than would otherwise have been possible. The vast majority of the funding for this entire project came from the state infrastructure bonds voters approved in recent years.

The brand new 100-foot ladder platform fire truck is done and on the highway en route to Suisun City! In fact, it might be here as early as Friday (Sept. 26)!

Chief Mike O'Brien and Battalion Chiefs Ken Woods and Dave Bellerive went back to Louisiana last week to sign off on this fantastic new addition to the Suisun City Fire Department at the Ferrara Fire Apparatus assembly facility. (Special thanks to Ferrara for all the great construction photos.)

The City Building Department has completed all the final inspections on the new Dollar Tree store, which I understand opened for business today!

The Dollar Tree, located at 240 Sunset Avenue, Suite A, fills the former furniture store space facing Highway 12 next door to Ace Hardware. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

They advertise themselves as offering everything from everyday to seasonal items for $1 or less - a very welcome price range in these times of high gas prices, particularly for a store within an easy walk of so many Suisun City residents and right alongside the Central County Bikeway!

I'm sure this is a 'soft opening,' so be kind to the staff & stay tuned for grand opening announcements from the company in coming months.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

SUISUN CITY — The Solano County Registrar of Voters found that the recall petitions for Mayor Pete Sanchez, Councilmember Jane Day and Councilmember Mike Hudson lack sufficient valid signatures to qualify for a recall election, Suisun City Deputy City Clerk Donna Pock announced today.

City Clerk Linda Hobson requested the Registrar of Voters validate each signature submitted on the petitions to ensure the most accurate and fair assessment of the petitions for all parties involved. For a petition to be sufficient to qualify as a ballot measure, it needed to contain valid signatures of at least 2,013 — or 20% — of registered City voters.

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Suisun City Redevelopment Agency has launched its First-time Homebuyer Program to help bolster the quality of Suisun City's neighborhoods while providing affordable home-ownership opportunities.Here are the basics:

Loans are available to purchase newly renovated foreclosed homes. (The list is available from the RDA.)

Down payment assistance of up to 25% of the home's purchase price, including closing costs.

Suisun City Fire Chief Mike O'Brien and two battalion chiefs are scheduled to make the final pre-delivery inspection of Suisun City's new 100-foot ladder platform fire truck next week!

They are anxiously watching Hurricane Ike and hope to be able to make the trip. If all goes as planned, the new truck may be in Suisun City in time for Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 5-11! (Psst! We're planning a Fire Station Open House for Oct. 11!)

No less a source than the New York Times has taken note of an innovative Suisun Valley winery located just across Interstate 80 from Suisun City.

How's this for an endorsement:

"No winery in California is more unconventional, experimental or even radical than Scholium. Half the wines it makes in any given year are exquisite. The other half are shocking and sometimes undrinkable. All of them are fascinating, which is exactly the way Mr. Schoener wants it."

We're going to start sharing with you - our loyal readers - some of the great stories and tidbits we discover in our daily media and online reading. We'll try to come up with a catchy name for it, so if you have a suggestion feel free to share it in the comments link below.

"Watching elk is one of California's sensational wildlife shows, and the curtain has been raised for the opening act at the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area. It closes to the public Oct. 1. That gives you 2 1/2 weeks to watch the annual September action.

Grizzly Island Wildlife Area is southeast of Fairfield/Suisun City, and just north of the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay. For the Department of Fish and Game, which manages the area for waterfowl, elk and other wildlife, it is a crown jewel of the state's wildlife program.

At Grizzly Island, the elk are wild, and tracking close enough for a picture requires stealth, skill, binoculars and patience. The technique is called spot-and-stalk, where you spot a herd in the distance, then try to stalk close enough, usually 100 to 200 yards, for a photograph."

Thursday, September 4, 2008

You can be trained to help your family, neighbors and community in the aftermath of a major earthquake or other disaster, a critical time when government first-responders are likely to be overwhelmed by calls for service.

To get involved, call the Fire Department at 707-421-7205 or e-mail mzunino@suisun.com. We are planning our first class this winter and are now looking for people who are interested.

The City received an $11,700 grant from Solano County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start up the CERT program in Suisun City.

CERT programs focus on teaching residents to prepare for specific disasters or hazards that may impact the local area then trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Using skills learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist neighbors or co-workers after a disaster happens, such as a major earthquake, when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in the community.

Contact the Fire Department today to sign up for this important training by calling 707-421-7205 or e-mailing mzunino@suisun.com

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Suisun City Police Department is fortunate to have a trained police dog to deploy in a wide range of law enforcement activities. For three years, the Suisun City Police Officers' Association and the Suisun City Police and Firefighter Boosters have sponsored a benefit golf tournament to provide funding for the unit, including training and supplies.It was actually the proceeds from earlier tournaments that underwrote the re-establishment of the K-9 program in Suisun City. This year, proceeds from the tournament will allow the addition of a narcotics detection element to the police dog program.This year's golf tournament is scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 8 at the beautiful Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo. It's a 1 p.m. shotgun start with lots of fun course events, and a great dinner and exclusive auction after the round. >>Click here for the brochure and tons of info!>>It's a terrific event for a great cause! Even if you don't golf, consider sponsoring a round for a local high school team or make a straight, tax-deductible donation!

Just a quick alert to note that the paving dates for the 2008 Streets Improvement Project have been updated.Make sure to check the project page for the latest information.The work is scheduled to start on Thursday Sept. 4, and continue on Friday Sept. 5, Monday Sept. 8 and Tuesday Sept. 9. Street sweeping work may happen on Saturday Sept. 6, as well. Click here for detailed street information and maps of the work areas.The work was rescheduled by the contractor - International Surfacing Systems - due to scheduling and supply challenges. We are not anticipating further changes, but the situation is somewhat fluid.If you live in an area subject to this work, check the City website for updates. Also remember, this work is the first phase with a slurry seal treatment planned for later this month. Details on that work will be posted as it becomes available.